Aiden, carrying both a long, large hunting rifle and a small, light pistol, and with a bullet pouch around his waist, led Anje out to the backyard.
There was plenty of dry firewood that would serve as good targets. He didn’t mention how he ended up with such a large pile, but he set up a shooting practice area.
TL/N: WE ALL KNOW HOW HE ENDED UP LIKE THIS BUT WON’T TELL XD
“I’ll show you first.”
With a bang, the piece of wood placed far away fell over. The piece next to it, and the piece next to that.
Anje couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She had never seen such accuracy in her life.
“You didn’t set anything up there, did you?”
As he reloaded the gun, he chuckled as if he had heard something ridiculous.
“If you’re suspicious, you can choose the target yourself.”
“Then, under that oak tree there… I’ll stand with an apple on my head.”
Though she was joking, he imagined the scene briefly and shook his head
“How could I shoot with my nerves on edge?”
“Timid. Aren’t sharpshooters supposed to do that? Haven’t you heard of Robin Hood?”
If it wasn’t Anje but someone else, like Jean Pierre, standing with an apple on his head, he would have been able to shoot very easily. Not a moment’s hesitation.
But if it wasn’t someone else, but Anje, he didn’t think he could keep his hands from shaking.
“Instead of an apple, how about aiming at that red leaf over there?”
He pointed to a single red leaf with water among the green leaves.
You can’t even hit an apple, but you think you can hit a leaf? Ridiculous.”
“You’ll see whether it’s ridiculous or not, young lady.”
He reloaded the gun and pulled the trigger without a moment’s hesitation.
Anje ran to the side of the tree through the smoke to check the results.
“No way.”
There was really a bullet-sized hole in the red leaf.
How could he have hit such a small object from such a distance? Amazing.
“Do you believe in my skills now?”
Aiden asked, approaching Anje with her mouth agape. He found her big, round eyes, surprised at his skills, cute.
Even trying to control it, the corners of his lips kept going up to his ears. A child was lurking inside him, wanting her to admire him more and praise him more.
Anje, not realizing what his intention was to show off his skills, was just admiring him.
She had thought that there might be some exaggeration in the hunting stories he had told her so far, but judging by this result, it might have been real.
“With those skills, wouldn’t it be more profitable to hunt rather than farm?”
As far as she knew, skilled hunters were in high demand. They could collect a lot of rare fur without damaging the leather as much as possible by hitting their preys throats with one shot.
Back then, she wore the fur coats, mittens, and scarves that she had acquired without a second thought. But now that she had a sense of reality, she realized that they were incredibly expensive clothes.
“It would be easier to make money that way, but… I find it more fun to raise things than to kill them.”
His hands were already stained with blood and gunpowder, marks that would never wash away no matter how hard he tried.
Disgusted by those traces, he did not hunt unless it was absolutely necessary, even if the target was just an animal.
A shadow fell over Anje’s face.
“I guess I said something foolish.”
She immediately understood what he meant by that. And she regretted the question that drew that answer out of him.
He flusteredly patted Anje’s shoulder.
“It wasn’t foolish at all. Didn’t I tell you before to ask me anything you’re curious about?”
He really didn’t mind. Rather, he was glad she asked him this, as it gave him a chance to reaffirm his resolve.
He couldn’t talk about this with anyone else.
Watching his eyes crinkle as he smiled, Anje found herself smiling too. She was growing accustomed to the dimples he showed only to her.
“Do you think I can shoot like you if I practice?”
“It depends on how hard you practice. Here, here’s your gun.”
Anje alternated her gaze between the small pistol Aiden handed her and the long rifle he had just fired.
“Can I try shooting with that one too?”
Wouldn’t it be easier to hit the target with a longer barrel? Seeing the eagerness in her eyes, Aiden gestured for her to hold out her hands. As soon as he placed the rifle in her hands, Anje staggered clumsily.
“Whoa.”
Aiden chuckled and slung the rifle back over his shoulder.
“It’s heavier than it looks.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Anje stared at her hands. She had thought it was much lighter since he handled it as if it were a spoon, but she was surprised.
“I thought I’d gotten stronger.”
“As I always say, you need to eat more meat—”
“I already eat enough!”
Cutting off Aiden’s nagging, Anje took the pistol, which was still unloaded, and he began explaining the most important safety rules.
“There are principles you must never forget when handling a gun. First, always handle the gun cautiously, whether it’s loaded or not. Second, the muzzle should only be pointed at what you are going to shoot.”
She nodded vigorously and quickly adjusted her grip to point the muzzle forward when she noticed it had drooped downward. Aiden added in a stern voice,
“Whether the safety is on or off, whether the gun is loaded or not… always be careful. There are as many people who die from accidental discharges as they do from bullets fired by others.”
Since it was a lesson that could put her life in danger, Anje listened to his explanation with a much more serious face than usual.
Finally, after finishing his explanation of the structure of the gun and how to handle it, he set up a wooden block near her and stood right behind her.
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, one foot back. Yes, like that. Imagine someone is standing in front of you and punch.”
“L-Like this?”
“With both hands, like you’re boxing… Wait, have you ever seen a boxing match?”
Boxing, which had been popular among lower-class workers a century ago, had become a betting sport among male nobles.
However, due to its bloody and violent nature, it wasn’t typically shown to ladies.
Anje grinned mischievously.
“I wasn’t supposed to, but… I once snuck in to watch because a count I know was sponsoring the match.”
The venue, which she had entered through a secret passage guided by the count’s daughter, was filled with smoke from the torches and cheers from the men who had bet a lot of money.
Thanks to the excited shouts of the men, the small screams that Anje and her friend let out each time someone was hit were easily buried.
“You were quite the tomboy.”
“I was very young. Besides, it’s unfair that only men get to watch such exciting things.”
He helped her maintain her extended arm position and then handed her the pistol.
“Anyway, this is the most basic stance. Don’t overthink it, just think of it as a fighting stance. Now, let’s try aiming.”
“Yes…”
Her voice involuntarily lowered. Even though he was careful not to touch her, the warmth from the instructor behind her felt quite palpable.
Her cheeks flushed, but she attributed it to the tension of holding a gun for the first time. She followed his instructions and brought her eyes to the sight.
“Before you shoot, there’s one thing to watch out for. As I said before, there will be recoil when you pull the trigger.”
“Recoil?”
“Yes, and how you handle it varies from person to person, so we’ll try different stances. For now, extend your arms fully…”
“Is this enough?”
“A bit more. Yes, hold it tight in that state.”
He reached out and pressed down on her elbow. At the same time, the forest scent he always carried intensified.
Anje swallowed hard and tried to focus only on the target.
“Return to the ready position and start again from the beginning.”
Aiden made her repeat the shooting stance until he was confident she had it down. When he felt she had relaxed enough, he handed her a bullet.
“Let’s move on to the real thing. Load the bullet.”
“Now? Just like that? Don’t I need more practice?”
“We can’t spend all day practicing with an unloaded gun.”
Reassuring her with a low chuckle, Aiden tapped the back of her hand a few times.
“Relax, and follow what you’ve learned. You’ll be fine.”
Physical contact surprisingly gave courage. Holding a live bullet for the first time, she loaded the gun with trembling hands and assumed the shooting stance she had practiced.
“Good, just like that.”
Bang—
With a satisfying crack, the piece of wood she aimed at fell backward. At the same time, the recoil pushed her back slightly, but thanks to Aiden who steadied her in time, it wasn’t too bad.
She looked back and forth between the wood and her gun with an expression of disbelief and then jumped up and down in place.
“I did it!”
Even in the midst of this, she kept the muzzle pointed forward. Seeing this, Aiden smiled approvingly.
To prevent accidents, he had only given her one bullet, but she had followed the procedures so well as to dispel any such concerns.
Moreover, her shooting skills were excellent for a first-timer. It was usually difficult even to graze the target, but she had hit it close to the center.
Having taught many soldiers, he could recognize her skill.
“Well done. If you’re not too tired, shall we try a few more shots?”
“Yes! I’ll try with a different stance.”
* * * *
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